1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hand held mechanical dental instrument for removal of material from or about the teeth of a patient, which is of the type which includes a shaft with an angularly related shank extending therefrom carrying a single or double edged blade.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The removal of plaque and/or other material from or about the teeth of patients is routinely performed by dentists, and considered essential to good dental care and the proper maintenance of teeth.
Some of the procedures that the dentist performs by using hand held instruments involves scaling and root planning for the purpose of removing plaque, calculus, granulation tissue and necrotic cementum. The dental procedures commonly involve instruments that are highly specific for both supra and sub-gingival areas, in that they are geometrically oriented to these areas, and must maintain a minimal rate of abrasion and possess high shear stress.
The instruments available to the dentist for material removal prior to those to be described below, are mostly constructed of stainless steel, are heavy, are designed to be sharpened and must be autoclaved or sterilized between uses. A dentist who is engaged in a clinic type practice, where a high volume of patients are treated, must maintain a large quantity of clean sharp instruments at all times.
Due to the prevalence of highly transmissable diseases, such as Hepatitis B, there is a greater possibility of contaminating non-disposable instruments and therefore creating an inadequate aseptic environment. The expense of instrument replacement is high due to manufacturing costs. Sharpening of the instruments is frequent, takes considerable time, and must be done very precisely due to angulation of blade, therefore increases costs.
Various devices have been proposed for cleaning both natural and artificial teeth.
The U.S. Pat. No. to Petersen 756,138 discloses a tooth brush having a thin metal plate in the handle, which is designed to go between the teeth and remove material therebetween, but is not suitable for other periodontal procedures.
The U.S. Pat. No. to Keefe 1,913,598 discloses a dental instrument which includes a thin pliant sheet of metal, which may have a serrated edge, and a backing of less pliant material. The thin sheet is intended to be inserted between teeth at the contact points to remove decay or other material, but is not suitable for other periodontal procedures.
The U.S. Pat. No. to Schole 3,771,537 discloses a method and device for mechanical cleaning of teeth which involves the use of a round-edged, non-cutting flexible blade which has a thickness which approximates that of the inter-proximal spacing of adjoining, contacting teeth. The blade is inserted between the teeth and slid back and forth between contacting teeth. While this device may be useful for removing plaque between teeth, it is not suitable for other periodontal procedures.
The U.S. Pat. No. to Westman 4,377,381 discloses a tool for use by a denture wearer to remove unwanted material from dentures. The tool includes a square handle with a spear shaped blade extending from one end and a convex-concave rounded tip blade extending from the other end. While this tool may be useful for removing plaque or other material from dentures, it is not suitable for periodontal procedures in the mouth of the patient.
The dental instrument of the invention is suitable for periodontal and other procedures, and possesses many advantages not found in prior available instruments.